Curtain operating mechanism



Dec. 1%, 1935. w CQURTRIGHT I 2,023,666

CURTAIN OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 10, 1934 INVENTOR, l/QZZvameomrtfl r Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CURTAINOPERATING MECHANISM William H. Courtright, Hawthorne, N. J.

Application July 10, 1934, Serial No. 734,503 2 Claims. (01. 156-28) Theprincipal object of this invention is to provide means by which acurtain or other like closure may be automatically moved in relation tothe opening to which it applies subject to remote 5 control and whenmoved to whatever extent in either direction will remain held by saidmeans in the position to which it is thus moved, the construction to besuch that when the movement has been effected to a given limit in eitherdirection the actuating means shall be ineifective to continue themovement in such direction. Whereas, according to my principal object,the invention is to be applied to the operating of curtains or otherclosures it will be understood that it is not necessarily limitedthereto. For

operating such a closure as a curtain the invention is particularlyapplicable to automobiles in order, for example, to place the rearcurtain in the control of the driver.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is an inside view of the back of an automobile body, with thelining removed and showing the invention largely in inside elevation,but partially broken away and partially in section;

Fig. 2 is a left side elevation of the motor and certain parts directlyassociated therewith;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 4 a plan of the switch, thecover being removed in Fig. 4;

Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrams of the electrical system, illustrating twoconditions thereof; and

Figs. '7 and 8 are diagrammatic sections of the circuit-closer.

Rigidly supported by and connecting stanchions l of the automobile bodyare guides 2 and 3 consisting of flat strips, the former having alongitudinal slot 4 and the latter a pair of holes 5. 3 designatesvertical guides rigidly secured to and connecting guides 2 and 3 andhaving longitudinal slots 7. These guides 6 are between the holes 5 butthe slot 4 is between them In brackets 8 mounted on the guide 2 are setthe trunnions of a spring roller 9, one such trunnion being fast to theroller and the other being the end of an axial spindle 90. around whichthe roller revolves and to which it is connected by a helical spring l9having one end attached to the roller and the other to the spindle, itbeing understood that the last-named or spindle trunnion is held by thecorresponding bracket against rotation therein in the well known manner,as by being flattened and fitting a slot in such bracket. In short,given a curtain l I wound on the roller, if the curtain is pulled uponto unroll it against the tension of the spring and then released thespring will cause rewinding of the cur ain,

Attached to the lower end of the curtain is a bar l2 which travels inthe slots 1 and is connected with another bar l3 below the guide 3 byrods I 4, the ends of the rods, which extend through the holes 5, beingthreaded and pene- 5 trating said bars and having nuts l5 thereonclamping the bars. In short, the bars and rods form a rectangular framewhich is guided vertically by the guides 2, 3 and 6.

An electric motor 16 is mounted on the sill Ii 10 below the curtain. Inthe diagram views (Figs. 5 and 6) its field winding is indicated atIlia, its armature at I61), and its commutator at I and. its brushes lEdare shown as having terminals at a and b. 15

Figs. 3 and 4 show a double-pole switch whose spring-blades l i, securedupon an insulating base [3 by screws which may constitute the mentionedterminals a and b, may be mutually depressed into contact with terminals0 and d on the one 20 hand or e and on the other by buttons 13. Asuitable cover 23 through which the buttons (of insulating material)protrude may be attached to the base over the spring-blades.

The armature shaft 2! of the motor has a worm 25 22 fast thereon andmeshing with a worm-wheel 23 fast on a shaft 24 journaled in bearings 25of the motor casing, and shaft 24 has fast thereon a pulley 25a aroundwhich is wound a cord or other flexible connection 26 attached to barI3. 30 Shaft 24 also has fast thereon a worm 2'! meshing with aworm-wheel 28 on a shaft 29, journaled in a suitable bearing 29a, andthis shaft has fast thereon a roll 33 forming a circuit-closer andhaving each of two zones thereof formed 35 conductive, at 30a (Figs. 7and 8), for the major portion of its peripheral extent and insulative,at 3012, the insulations 30b in the two zones being rotatively offsetfrom each other somewhat.

The circuit arrangement is as follows: From a 40 service line 3|, orother source of current, leads a conductor 32, including the motor fieldI611, and being then branched, one branch 32a leading to terminal 0 andhaving a continuation 32am thereof leading from terminal (1 to groundI03 45 and having gap-forming contacts 33 which wipe one of theperipheral portions of the circuit closer; the other branch 32b, inwhich are gapforming contacts 34 wiping the other peripheral portion ofthe circuit-closer, leads to terminal 6 50 and has a continuation 3212a:thereof leading from terminal 1 to ground. For the purpose ofexplanation I term the terminals a and b, respectively, primary andsecondary terminals, and the terminals c and d, respectively, on the onehand and e 55 and f, respectively, on the other, input and outputterminals.

If the right-hand button is pressed, closing the circuit through branch32a and its continuation 32am, then having the break at c-d in suchbranch 32a--32aa: closed through the brushes and commutator, the motorwill be driven in one direction. If the left-hand button is pressed,closing the circuit through branch 32b and its continuation 32hr, thenalso having the break at erj in such branch 32b:-32b$ closed through thebrushes and commutator (but now so that, as will appears, the currentflows in the reverse direction through the brushes and commutator), themotor will be driven'in the opposite direction? In short, f

the input and output terminals. 0 and d in the first case, and the inputand output terminals 6 and 1 in the second case, are respectivelyconnected with the primary and secondary brush terminals a and b. Ineach case, however, if at the time a button is pressed the motor is atits intended limit 01 motion in the direction corresponding to suchbutton and consequently the corresponding contact 33 or 34 engage thecorresponding nonconductive Surface of circuit-closer 30 such actuationof they button will be abortive. In short, the motor will, be turned andthe, curtain moved in one direction or the other according to whichbutton is pressed and so long as the motor and circuit closer are not ateither limit of their motion; butif such limit of movement in onedirection has, beengreached movement, can only be effected in theopposite direction, as by pressing the button; by which such movement isefiected. The insulation at 30b might be entirely omitted, leavingarecessto leave electrically disconnected inthat. way the members of apair of contacts when, they coincide therewith;

, The contacts 33 and 34 are shown mounted on an insulating block 35attached to the motor casing.

Due to the worm gearing 22-23,A whenever the current is. cutoff from themotor the latter'of course holds the curtain at the position to, whichit was last moved, notwithstanding the elevating action'of spring I0.

The frame l2-l3l4 might be omitted but, taken with its described guidingmeans, it insures maintenance of the cord 26 always in the plane of thepulley 25, as on the flapping or other shifting of the curtain when notso guided might occasionally not be the case. Besides the constructionis such, as shown, that no part of the operating mechanism appearsthrough the window opening 36 from the back, the top bar I2 being hiddenby the curtain, the rods i4 always hidden by the structure both sides ofthe window, and the bottom bar l3 and cord always hidden by thestructure'below the window.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is:

1. In combination, with supporting structure 6 having an opening, awound system including a roller journaled in said structure at one sideof the opening and a curtain wound on the roller e the opening and acurtain wound on the roller and adapted to be drawn in a plane acrosssaid opening, means normally acting to wind said system, and means toeffect an unwinding of said system including an open rigid frameconnected to the curtain and formed and adapted to surround the openingwhen the curtain hasbeen so wound as substantially completely to exposethe opening, said structure having means to confine the 'frame tomovement substantially in said plane.

WILLIAM H. COURTRIGHT.

